Machine for sewing looped fabrics.



PATENIED APB.. 14, 1903.

I'. E. MORRIS'. MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1| 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. MORRIS, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To ROBERTPILLINGr AND RICHARD MADELEY, TRADING AS PILLINGr a MADELEY, OEPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

lvlAcHlNE FOR sEw|Nc LOOPED FABRICS.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,578, dated April14, 1903. Application led August l. 1902. Serial No. 117,980. (Nomodel.)

To all when@ it may concern: l

Beitknown that I, FRANK E. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Machines for Uniting Knitted Fabrics, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to machines known as looping-machines and intendedfor uniting` knitted webs by means of a chain of stitches formed by theconjoint action of a needle and looper, the stitches of the knitted Websbeing mounted upon pins or points upon a carrier to which intermittentmovements are imparted, so that the needle passes in succession throughthe loops of the courses of the knitted Webs which are to be united.

The object of my invention is to insure an elastic seam by providing acertain amount of slack in each stitch of the chain,whereby the union ofthe knitted web is eected. This Object I attain in t-he mannerhereinafter set forth, reference; being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a view showing in dotted lines inlongitudinal section sufficient ofV an ordinary looping-machine toillustrate my attachment thereto, the latter being shown by full lines.Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; and Fig.`3 is a diagram, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the operation of myattachment.

So far as the looping-machine itself is concerned, it is of ordinaryconstruction and need not be described further than to say that itcomprises a ring 1, carrying a series of projecting pins or points 2,one for each loop or stitch of the .course of knitted web, this ringbeing provided with mechanism whereby intermittent movements of'partialrotation will be imparted to it, each movement being to the extent ofthe distance apart of the successive pins or points 2.

The machine has a vibrating needle 3 and a hooked looper 4, which partsare so operated that the needle vibrates over the pins 2 in successionand the looper 4 delivers the previously-formed loop to the needle andreceives a fresh loop of thread therefrom, the

result being that the needle passes through the successive pairs orgroups of stitches or` loops of knitted webs mounted upon the pins 2 andunites the same by a chain of stitches formed by the needle-thread.

The purpose of my invention is to prevent the drawing of these stitchesso tightly as to deprive the seam of the elasticitywhioh is essential tothe proper performance of its duty, for if the seam is less elastic thanthe webs which it unites the stretching of these webs permits suchstrain to be exerted upon the chain of stitches whereby they are unitedas to break said stitches. l I therefore draw each stitch of theuniting-chain around a iinger 5, which is so located and so operatedthat it will engage said stitch and retain the same until the needle hasbeen so far retracted that its further movement is not sufficient totighten the stitch.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,

AVthis linger 5 is carried by an arm 6, projecting from the lower end ofa vertically-sliding bar 7, which is mounted in bearings at the outerend of a bracket 8, secured to a fixed portion of the machine, saidsliding bar or rod 7 having another projecting arm 9, with piu 10, whichengages the slotted end of a lever 11, hung to a post 12 on the bracket8 and adapted to be acted upon by a pin 13, projecting from the armwhich carries the needle 8.

When the needle-arm is at the rearward limit of its movement, its pinengages the lever 11 and causes the same to lift the sliding rod 7, andconsequently .the linger 5, as

shown-in Fig. 1,-thereby permitting movement of the ring 1; but as soonas the needle commences to move forward the finger 5 drops in advance ofthe loop of needle-thread carried by the looper 4. Hencewhen said looperdelivers its loop to the needle and takes a fresh loop therefrom and theneedle is retracted, as shown in Fig. 3, the finger 5 .Plevents the pullupon the needle-threadfrom drawing tight the last-formed stitch, theiinger retaining this position until the needle is almost at the limitof its retraction, when the pin 13 again acts upon the lever 11 so as toVlift the finger 5 free from engagement with the stitch. As aconsequence of this operation each stitch has an ample amount of slackto insure the elasticity of the chain. Hence the latter can be stretchedto the saine extent as the stitches of the fabric which it joins and nosuch strain can be exerted upon the chain of stitches as to cause thesame to break.

The invention is of importance in uniting fabrics having open oriacework portions, as these are especially susceptible to stitching.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. The combination with thestitch-forming device of amachine for uniting knitted webs, with fabric-receiving pins or points,a needle movable into a plane substantially parallel therewith, alooper, a stitch-engaging finger, said looper and the finger beingmovable from and toward the fabric-receiving points and in a plane atright angles to the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the stitch-forming devices of a machine foruniting knitted webs, of a finger for engaging the stitch which is beingdrawn, a sliding rod carrying said iinger, a lever engaging said rod,and a projection from the needle-arm of the machine for engaging saidlever as the needle is approaching the rearward limit ot' its movement,substantially as specied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK E. MORRIS.

Vitnesses:

JAMES C. KRAYER, Jos. H. KLEIN.

